McCain Losing More Base Support...

Former Reagan adviser endorses Obama

(CNN) — Former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein told CNN's Fareed Zakaria this week he intends to vote for Democrat Barack Obama on Tuesday.

Duberstein said he was influenced by another prominent Reagan official - Colin Powell - in his decision.

"Well let's put it this way - I think Colin Powell's decision is in fact the good housekeeping seal of approval on Barack Obama."

Powell served as national security advisor to Reagan during Duberstein's tenure as chief of staff.

Duberstein spoke with Zakaria about his final days in the Reagan White House. The Reagan official, along with Clinton Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Carter National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, also discussed the transition process to a new administration.

And let's not forget the latest NY Times/CBS poll that shows 59% of voters think Palin is a drag to McCain's campaign, is bringing down the campaign, and is NOT ready to be president, let alone vice-president.

Prominent Military Personnel in Israel for... Well, CERTAINLY Not for McCain...

Rather, they much prefer Obama! And they are saying now what I've been saying on this blog for over a year: that Bush has actually been DESTRUCTIVE to Israel, not good for the Jewish state.


Retired Generals of the Israeli Defense Forces and high-ranking Mossad officials on Barack Obama... from www.JCER.info on Vimeo.

Joe the No Show

Heh. Didn't get the memo...

Why I Was Zonked Yesterday

I had a sleep study done. It's one of the tests I needed to go through for my surgery, and OH, MY GOD. What an awful experience.

The tech was great. We shmoozed for a while. He's pure, Mid-Western working class, should be one of those typical voters who should be a slam dunk for McCain. His name was even Joe. But he said, growing up around here, he's seen this area literally die and he understands it's because the Republicans have completely effed up the country. So, he's voting for Obama.

But, I digress.

So, he connects about twenty leads to me: on my face, my neck, the sides of my face, my hair, my chest, my leg. He puts an oxygen measurer in nose and on my finger. You can imagine how comfortable THAT was. On top of that, I'm in an unfamiliar place, no wife, not my bed (although the bed WAS actually OK). It's takes a while to fall asleep. On top of THAT, the plumbing in the private bathroom in my bedroom had problems and the water in the tank of the toilet kept turning on as though to fill the toilet tank. And it wasn't sporadic. It was about every minute. Literally. And finally, on top of all THAT, I finally fall asleep and the tech wakes me at 5:30 AM to go home.

So, I didn't sleep very well that night. And I didn't get to come home and nap. I had to go to an early pre-op class, then pick up my daughter and take her to her well child three year appointment (her birthday is today!!), and start cleaning the house for Shabbos.

Well, at least I slept pretty well LAST night!

Obama on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart - Further Proof of Obama's Socialist Tendencies

I know. It's SO two days ago. But I've got all this crap I gotta do in preparation for my bariatric surgery on November 18, and I was so zonked yesterday because of my sleep study, that I didn't get a chance to watch until now.

The Socialist part is about four minutes in:

Not QUITE...

McCain's misrepresentation:

WASHINGTON – Republican presidential candidate John McCain is calling the economic policies of his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, to the far left of American politics.

No, actually, they're left-leaning, MIDDLE OF THE ROAD politics. The problem the Right has veered SO FAR to the right, that any politics that were considered, normal, albeit left-leaning politics, fifteen years ago are now considered radically left-wing fringe economics. What he doesn't get is that at this point, most of us are sick to death and tired of the extreme Right Wing politics and religious views by which our government has been held hostage for so freaking long.

Al Qaeda Endorses McCain

Op-Ed Columnist - The Endorsement From Hell - NYTimes.com

Heh. Oops!

HT: CYM

Goin' Rouge, I Mean, Rogue. Sorry.

More on Daylight "Saving"

What a crock. They ought to just end this idiocy once and for all rather than jet-lag the vast majority of Americans twice yearly. From the Wall Street Journal, and be sure to click on the link to the report earlier this year:  

Saving Daylight, but Wasting Electricity

As the Daylight Savings Time change looms, a research paper first reported in the Journal earlier this year, is making the rounds again.

The National Bureau of Economic Research presents the paper written by Matthew Kotchen and Laura Grant of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

They concluded that, contrary to conventional wisdom going all the way back to the days of Benjamin Franklin, daylight savings time actually “increases residential electricity demand.”

The economists examined monthly electricity billing data for Indiana from 2004 to 2006. Indiana is unique, the authors noted, because until 2006 many counties in the state didn’t practice DST. “The initial heterogeneity of DST among Indiana counties and the policy change in 2006 provides a natural experiment — with treatment and control sets of counties — to empirically identify the relationship between DST and residential electricity demand,” they wrote.

DST, they wrote, leads to a 1% increase in electricity demand, which in Indiana translates to about $9 million per year. The greatest rise in consumption is in the fall.

In addition, the “social cost” of increased pollution in the state is $1.7 million to $5.5 million per year, they estimate.

Meanwhile, “the effect is likely to be even stronger in other regions of the United States,” they wrote.

Ben Franklin — whose little nugget that a penny saved is a penny earned is also on shaky ground amid the financial crisis — must be rolling over in his grave.

Franklin “argued that if people adjusted their schedules to earlier in the day during summer months, when day length is longest, an immense sum of tallow and wax could be saved by the ‘economy of using sunshine rather than candles,’” Kotchen and Grant wrote, noting that Franklin even “satirically proposed the firing of cannons to awaken people at dawn and a tax on window shutters that keep out sunlight.”

At least he’s still got the C-note. –Brian Blackstone

To put it in terms we all understand, Daylight "Saving" Time actually costs us more money than if we just left the time alone (and not permanently IN DST - I don't want MY kids going to school in the dark). In other words, it's like being taxed for no reason, and you know who gets the money? The ENERGY company...

My Semi-Annual Anti-Daylight Saving Time Rant

Of course, I'm better with it this time of year because it's finally OVER!!! 

Carpe Diem... Actually, Make That Carpe Hora: The End of Daylight Saving

by Vera H-C Chan

The first week in November marks the end of a long, twisting road. Oh, right, and the elections are next week, too.

The longest Daylight Saving period in American history ends Sunday, Nov. 1, when all states except for Hawaii, most of Arizona, and parts of Indiana will dial back the clock one hour. In optimistic lingo, that's an "extra hour" to sleep, fill out that absentee ballot, and enjoy other lazy Sunday activities.

That should end impatient searches demanding to know "when is daylight savings" (+654%) and "when does daylight savings time end" (+358%). Oregonians have been particularly insistent about seeking out that the extra hour online—perhaps prompted by older electronic devices which prematurely set clocks back last weekend.

Associated Content rewinds the history of this Benjamin Franklin notion, but the Wall Street Journal reminds us that, in these here modern times, the savings may be a bunch of crock.

Among the conspiratorial, glass-is-half-empty mindset (especially after reading the paranoid-inducing Time article, "7 Things That Could Go Wrong on Election Day"), one wonders—could a time change mess with Nov. 4 logistics? After all, a DST snafu happened in one Pennsylvania county two years ago, and this past spring poll workers in a North Carolina county had to spend afew extra minutes tinkering with the voting machines to shut them down.

So far, though, there's no Buzz peep about that possibility. Plus, according to online museum WebExhibits, one reason for dragging out Daylight Saving is that it actually encourages voter turnout. Whyfore? Because it's still light after work, making moonlight-averse voters more inclined to stop by the polling booth.

One election, however, might be affected by the hour change: Indiana governor Mitch Daniels wants a second term, but some in the Hoosier State still hold a grudge against him for mandating DST in part of the state. That's what happens when you take away an hour of sleep for eight months.

McCain Campaigns for Obama on Larry King...

Honestly, I don't think he understands he's running AGAINST Obama, not FOR him:

TAMPA, Fla. – Republican presidential candidate John McCain says racism will play virtually no role when voters head to the polls next Tuesday because it will be trumped by the nation's economic problems.
In a transcript of an interview taped for broadcast Wednesday night on CNN's "Larry King Live," McCain said people will vote "for the best of reasons, not the worst of reasons." He said most people will vote based on who they want to lead the country.
Referring to people who might vote against Democrat Barack Obama because he is black, McCain added: "It would be a tiny, tiny, minority. Because people are hurting too much now. I mean, they're worried about staying in their homes, keeping their jobs."

This Is Why I Voted for Obama

You wanna call me naive? Stupid? A dupe? Well, you're dead wrong.

A Predictable Return to the Politics of Fear

What a surprise. McFear is trying to scare us into voting for him rather than Obama:

TAMPA, Fla. – Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Wednesday that the country's economic problems will pass but threats against the nation will not — and that Democratic rival Barack Obama is not up to the task of protecting the United States.

Returning to the issue of national security, seen as McCain's central theme before the financial crisis overwhelmed the campaign, McCain stood with former military officers and national security advisers to ask rhetorically whether Obama had the wisdom and judgment to be commander in chief.

"The question is whether this is a man who has what it takes to protect America from Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida and the other great threats in the world," McCain said. "He has given no reason to answer in the affirmative."

The Arizona Republican said the nation will emerge from the current financial meltdown even stronger.

"When that day arrives and the worries of economic crisis have fallen away, we will find awaiting our country all of the same great challenges and dangers that were there all along," he said.

McCain also warned of the danger to national security from a Democratic takeover of both the White House and Congress.

"Our national security is dependent on our economic security, and the plans of a Democrat-dominated Washington would harm them both," he said. "We're getting only a glimpse of what one-party rule will look like."

McCain predicted deep cuts in defense spending and the abandonment of America's role in the world if Democrats run the government, an argument in line with the Republican campaign closing argument in the final days before the election.

"The Arizona Republican said the nation will emerge from the current financial meltdown even stronger."

Yeah. But only if the Democrats take over and properly clean up the Great Republican Mess of the Early 21st Century and they are allowed to actually polish our global image, something the Republicans have greatly tarnished over the last eight years.

McLiar Lies Again...

McCain has crafted a populist argument to deflect conservative criticism of his vote in favor of a $700 billion bailout of financial institutions. "I'm going to make sure we take care of the working people who were devastated by the excess and corruption of Wall Street and Washington," he said.

Yeah? Then where's MY fucking bailout? I made bad decisions too, and my debt isn't anywhere near as bad as that of Wall Street.

Oh, yeah. I forgot. I'm not a rich and greedy CEO.

Tax the fuckers, I say. Tax 'em to death.

Random Wednesday (Haven't Done One in a While...)

Random number about me:

9
14
27

9: Number of schools I attended from nursery through 12th grade.

14: Number of cities in which I've lived (I separated the Valley and West LA - they are both very different and it was like living in two different cities).

27: Number of houses/condos/townhouses/apartments/dorms in which I resided.

And I'm only 36 years old...

Obama's Latest Ad

Slams Failin' Palin! And McCain, too:

Obama's latest ad, unfurled Wednesday, was 30-second spot aimed at key states that uses McCain's own words against him and mocks GOP running mate Sarah Palin. It shows McCain acknowledging in three quotes, one from 2005 and two from 2007, that he knows less about economic matters than other issues. In the last quote, McCain says he might have to rely on his vice president for expertise — and then the spot cuts to a winking Palin.

Just who we need as an economic expert. A crazy person who put her home town of Wasilla in extreme debt and has supported the "Bridge to Nowhere." Yeah. Real economic expertise there, John.

Palin's Long Resume

And NONE of it gives her ANY right to be anywhere NEAR the White House, much less IN it! Very long, but well worth reading... From the Facebook group 1,000,000 Strong Against Sarah Palin

If McCain is elected as President, Sarah Palin will be a heartbeat away from running our country- and if that doesn’t scare the hell out of you, it should. There is significant risk of this occurring in his first term alone, augmented by McCain's age and history of cancer. 18% of presidents have died in office. The possibility that Palin could become president if McCain is elected is very real indeed. Do we really want Palin to take over the United States government in the event that McCain is unable to fulfill his duties?

Sarah Palin's resume on being able to run a government that represents over 300 million people:

-Business/Professional Experience: Television sports reporter, 1987-1989; Co-owner of a commercial fishing operation, 1988-2007; owner, sport vehicle rental business, 1994-1997; chairwoman, Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, 2003-2004
(http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/p/sarah_palin/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=Sarah%20Palin&st=cse)

-Political Office: Governor of Alaska, elected 2006; mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, 1996-2002; Wasilla City Council, 1992-1996
(http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/p/sarah_palin/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=Sarah%20Palin&st=cse)

- Bachelor's degree in journalism (with a minor in political science) from the University of Idaho. It took her 6 years and 5 school transfers to obtain this degree. Nevertheless, a journalism degree is not particularly relevant nor beneficial for a president. Dick Cheney even received a masters degree and started a doctoral degree. She would be the first president since Herbert Hoover (who even went to Stanford) to have an irrelevant degree. All presidents since then have had degrees (except Truman who went to law school for 2 years, but had 35 years government experience) related to the military, business, law and politics. Since 1897, only two presidents have had degrees not related to being an administrator in some way. Those presidents only served one term and are considered unsuccessful by historians.
(http://www.adn.com/palin/story/516085.html)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_palin)

- Wasilla City Council from 1992 to 1996, then mayor 1996 – 2002. As mayor of Wasilia, Palin built - as her legacy - a $15 million multi-use indoor ice arena on land that did not belong to the city. It will cost Wasilla at least an additional $1.67 million to acquire the land which the town is attempting to pay for by cutting library services, postponing capital improvement projects, and raising fees. Most cities under 10K don't have such expensive facilities. This put her town into debt. This is against the GOP platform against wasteful spending and throwing the gov't into debt.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_palin)

- Threatened a lawsuit to stop the listing of polar bears on the endangered species list, fearing that it would hurt oil and gas development in the bears' habitat off Alaska's northern and northwestern coasts. She has also been a vocal critic of scientists who suggest that climate change is leading to the decrease in polar bears in Alaska.
(http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jiV2WBHEmiS0_TAkxcdOD_WFHDkAD92S4MS04)
(http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN2145097820080522)

- Is responsible for approving a $400,000 state-funded propaganda campaign to justify Alaska's barbaric wolf slaughter from the skies.
(http://dwb.adn.com/front/story/9253882p-9168881c.html)

- Palin tried last year to have the state pay $150 for every wolf killed, but the state superior court shot that down as an illegal use of bounty payments, which were outlawed in that state in 1984.
(http://www.slate.com/id/2199140/)

- Her Husband works for BP energy corporation at an oil field on Alaska's North Slope (family ties to oil company)

- Zero Foreign policy experience, if you exclude her negotiating with foreign energy companies to exploit American resources. She is considered the leader of the Alaskan national guard but this is largely symbolic since she does not have authority to send the national guard into war. Biden, Obama, Cheney and McCain have all worked on legislation on national foreign policy. There are 17 border states, just because you're a governor of a border state doesn't mean you have national foreign policy experience.

- Does not know what the V.P. actually does. “As for that V.P. talk all the time,” she told CNBC’s Larry Kudlow in late July, “I tell ya, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me: What is it exactly that the V.P. does every day? I'm used to being very productive and working real hard."
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4gkPXSDtGQ)

- She has a total of a little under 2 years in state government. In comparison, Sen. Obama has 7 years of experience in state government and 3 years in federal government.

- She has less experience (beyond the local level) in government than Obama, McCain, and Biden.****** If she assumes the presidency within McCain's first term, she would assume office with less experience beyond the local level in the government than ANY OTHER PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY of the United States.******

- Palin has said she is "as pro-life as any candidate can be" and called abortion "an atrocity." She has supported mandatory parental consent, and while she is pro-contraception, has also indicated her preference for abstinence education over "sex-ed programs." She would permit abortion in cases where the mother's life was endangered, but not in the case of rape or incest.
****** Important Note: There is nothing wrong with being pro-life. To clarify, Palin is not only pro-life but ANTI-choice.******
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin)
(http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/governor06/story/8049298p-7942233c.html)
(http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0908/Palin_opposed_sexed.html)

- Supports Death Penalty

- Supports unrestricted right to keep and bear arms and is a member of the National Rifle Association. Palin says, "I am a lifetime member of the NRA and I support our Constitutional right to bear arms." In 2004 in the U.S., 1804 children and teenagers were murdered in gun homicides, 846 committed suicide with guns and 143 died in unintentional shootings.

- Palin recently said that the war in Iraq is "God's task." She's even admitted she hasn't thought about the war much—just last year she was quoted saying, "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq."
(http://thinkprogress.org/palin-digest/#fp)
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/02/palins-church-may-have-sh_n_123205.html)

- In August 2008, according to an interview she claimed to have had no idea what the Bush administration's plans were for Iraq and defended her stance stating it has nothing to do with state affairs, even though Alaska has a large military base.

- Is a member of Feminists for Life; she backs capital punishment, and opposes same-sex marriage.

- Supported Alaska's decision to amend its Constitution to ban same-sex marriage and would support a ballot question to deny benefits to homosexual couples.
(http://dwb.adn.com/front/story/8508726p-8401181c.html)
(http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-3343.html)

- Although Palin is aware of a climate change, she fails to recognize that we, as gas-guzzling humans, have played a large part in it. She is not interested in alternative energy choices. She's interested in drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.

- Palin said in a 2006 debate that she supports teaching creationism alongside evolution in public schools on the grounds that "healthy debate is so important." In the same debate, she said she believed in a creator and avoided an up-or-down stance on evolution.
(http://www.thelangreport.com/religion-or-lack-of/sarah-palin-wants-creationism-taught-in-school/)

- Palin never left the country before July 2007 when she needed to first obtain a passport before visiting Alaskan National Guard troops stationed in Kuwait.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/30veep.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin)

- As mayor, former city officials and Wasilla residents
said that Palin approached the town librarian about the possibility of banning some books, though she never followed through and it was unclear which books or passages were in question.
(http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1837918,00.html)
(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/us/politics/03wasilla.html)
(http://news.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view.bg?articleid=1117009&srvc=2008campaign&position=15)

- As a city council member in 1995, Ms. Palin told colleagues that she saw "Daddy’s Roommate" on the library shelf and said it didn't belong there. When suggested that she read the book herself, "Sarah said she didn't need to read that stuff." Despite this, the 2008 McCain-Palin presidential campaign released a statement stating that Republican Party vice presidential nominee Ms. Palin was not involved in censorship.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy%27s_Roommate)

- Six months ago, Palin told members of the fringe Alaska Independence Party—who advocate for a vote on secession from the union—to "keep up the good work" and wished the party luck on what she called its "inspiring convention."
(http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-aip3-2008sep03,0,6399468.story)

- Palin's husband was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party (a secessionist group that wants Alaska to secede from the U.S. to either join Canada or become its own country). He did not leave the AIP until 2002, when his wife became involved in statewide Republican politics.
(http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-aip3-2008sep03,0,6399468.story)

- As mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Palin enforced a policy of charging rape victims for their own rape examinations: an exam that costs $1200.
(http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/21/palin.rape.exams/index.html)
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacob-alperinsheriff/sarah-palin-instituted-ra_b_125833.html)

- Palin is against Stem Cell Research.

- Sarah Palin recently claimed that she turned down federal funding for the Bridge to Nowhere. However, in her 2006 campaign for governor she was an enthusiastic supporter of the project saying that Alaska should take advantage of earmarks "while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist."

- When asked if she believed in the Bush doctrine, Palin had no clue what the Bush doctrine even was, no less an opinion on whether she believed in it or not. The Bush doctrine, which flung open the doors to the catastrophe in Iraq, was such a fundamental aspect of the administration’s foreign policy that it staggers the imagination that we could have someone so close to the White House who doesn’t even know what it is.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/opinion/13herbert.html?_r=3&em&oref=slogin&oref=slogin)

- In an interview with Couric, Palin defended her puzzling claim that geographic proximity makes her some sort of expert on Russia; went nearly blank when queried about McCain's achievements as a big-business regulator; agreed America "may find itself" on the road to another Great Depression; and, promoting a troop surge in Afghanistan, casually suggested that it "will lead us to victory there, as it has proven to have done in Iraq."
(http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-onthemedia26-2008sep26,0,3542588.story)

- In an interview with Couric, Palin was asked to cite an example of a newspaper or magazine that she read regularly prior to being named as McCain's running mate. Three separate times, Couric tried to elicit a response from Palin about which specific newspapers she reads. Seemingly caught off guard, Palin could not name a single news source, but when pressed, she replied that she has read "all of them."
(http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/30/eveningnews/main4490618.shtml)

- In July of 2008, Palin became the subject of a state ethics investigation for abuse of power in Alaska: in late July, Alaska's state legislature voted to hire an independent investigator to find out whether she tried to have a state official fire her ex-brother-in-law from his job as a state trooper. She has also refused to call for the resignation of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens despite his indictment for allegedly hiding gifts received from an oil firm.

***** - Abused her power as Alaska's governor and violated state ethics law by trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from the state police.
(http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/10/palin.investigation/index.html)

- Can see Russia from her house.

If you have anything you'd like to change, edit, or add to Palin's resume, please post it on this board thread: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=6530&uid=27408324140
Do not send me a message because I probably will not see it.

Why This Election Is Still Scary...

Mitchell Bard: Obama Is Dominating in the Polls, but Four Things Keep Me Awake at Night

Block the Vote : Rolling Stone - Excellent Article About Voter Fraud...

Perpetrated by whom? Well, OBVIOUSLY by the Republicans. Who the hell else? Ah, yes. The party of values, honesty, and integrity.

Yeah, right. Sure.

Here's to their fall. For the good of all.

Do Republicans Think Democrats Are THAT Stupid?!

Apparently so. Basically, they've circulated a flier stating Republicans get to vote on Nov 4, election day 2008, while independents and Democrats MUST vote on Nov 5.

What a bunch of sleazeballs.

The Forgotten War

Listening to NPR yesterday, there was a report about the Forgotten War. You know, the one in Afghanistan. The one we never hear about, but the one that is actually important because THAT'S where the Taliban, which backs Osama bin Laden, resides. Apparently, the Taliban has been getting stronger there, carrying out deadlier and deadlier attacks. Yet, according to the news report, the allies, led by the US, are having trouble retaliating and are actually losing the war because they simply don't have enough troops.

What's that? Where are they? Why, they're fighting Governor Bush's personal and illegal war in Iraq, of course. A war the US, according to John McCain, MUST WIN and come home in honor rather than in defeat. Why? Because losing the war in Iraq would cause the US to have even more egg on its figurative face than it already has. And it would be embarrassing to the Republican Party. Never mind the Iraqis actually want us out as well.

Result? It puts Afghanistan on the very back burner. Well, what about defeat there? That could very well happen. And what will the world think then? They'll think, correctly, because (despite the illusion the Republicans hold that most of the world is stupid) many people are actually quite smart, that we lost the important war for to fight the irrelevant one. They'll think we chose dessert over the main course. And they'll be very correct in their thoughts.

Solution? Elect Barack Obama, end the idiotic war in Iraq (responsibly, of course - after all, since we ARE there, we do have be responsible), and redeploy our troops where they are actually needed. Fighting the real war against terror in Afghanistan. And the sad thing is, that war should have been an easy, no-brainer victory. Yet another one of Bush's complete screw-ups.

And You Gotta Love THIS Headline!

Seems the global image of the US is kind of important after all. Not that you'd know it seeing Bush and his cronies...

Obama Victory Would Improve US Global Image: US Official

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The election of Democrat Barack Obama to the presidency would be a "great thing" for the image of the United States, a State Department official said on Tuesday.

James Glassman, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, was careful to emphasize he did not support the presidential nominee of either party, adding that he also thought "it would be a great thing for the United States to have a woman as vice president," in reference to Republican running mate Sarah Palin.

Speaking at a news conference focused on the US-led "war on terror," Glassman, who is tasked with improving America's image around the world, also spoke about the US military-run detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- a lightning rod for criticism abroad.

"I don't think it's going to affect the image of the United States" if the prison is closed, he said.

Both candidates, Obama and his rival Republican John McCain, have pledged to close the camp at the US naval base that continues to hold 272 "war on terror" prisoners without charges.

This poor dude, Glassman. His job it to "improve America's image around the worlds." Oy. What a job! I think, if he retains his job after January 20, 2009, when, God Willing, Obama takes the oath of office, his job will become MUCH easier!

McCain's GOP Support Showing More Cracks

McCain's GOP support showing more cracks - International Herald Tribune. Lots of GOPers are jumping ship.

Best quotes from the article:

"He has lost his brand as a maverick," Rep. Chris Shays, a Connecticut Republican and co-chairman of the McCain campaign in that state, told the Yale Daily News in the latest criticism. "He did not live up to his pledge to fight a clean campaign."

Uh-oh. NOT a Maverick?! Then what's his platform? Didn't live up to his pledge to fight a clean campaign?! No shit, Sherlock! What the hell did you expect from a Republican? Honesty?!

Former Sen. Charles Mathias of Maryland wrote Tuesday in The Washington Post: "For me, the decision is based on the long-range needs of our country and which of these two candidates I feel is better suited to recharge America's economic health, restore its prestige abroad and inspire anew all people who cherish freedom and equality. For me, that person is Barack Obama."

Prestige abroad? Well, hell, we don't need them damned foreigners and we don't care what they think! Right?

David Frum, a neoconservative and former speechwriter for President Bush, recently wrote in the Post, "There are many ways to lose a presidential election. John McCain is losing in a way that threatens to take the entire Republican Party down with him."

This last one the most poignant, and I say AMEN. Take down the Republican Party. Their time is, God Willing, OVER. Time to start anew. Maybe without the screwing over the American people part.

Weekly Standard Editor William Kristol has been similarly blunt.

In a column in The New York Times, which McCain accuses of liberal bias to incite partisan audiences, Kristol recently wrote, "It's time for John McCain to fire his campaign."

In a subsequent column weeks later, Kristol said, "McCain should stop unveiling gimmicky proposals every couple of days that pretend to deal with the financial crisis."

Instead, Kristol said: "He should tell the truth: We're in uncharted waters, no one is certain what to do, and no one knows what the situation will be on Jan. 20, 2009. But what we do know is that we could use someone as president who has shown in his career the kind of sound judgment and strong leadership we'll need to make it through the crisis."

And to be honest, Obama's the one most qualified to do that, not McLiar.

Let's Just F#$KING Vote Already!

McOne-Other

Kinda like "That One..."



More importantly in this segment is McCain's air quotes. Any issue important to the vast majority of the US population, like tax cuts for the middle and working classes, clean environment (blah, blah, blah), bans on assault weapons.

And even more important was his lack of caring for a mother's health in the abortion issue. Never mind mental health, when, for instance, when a young woman is told by her pastor she is physically healthy and should have many children, never mind the mental part.

MCCAIN OH-NEVER!

The Unbearable Irony of Sarah Failin' Palin. It Burns!

Distancing herself from her former political ally after Monday's verdict, which could help Democrats expand their control of the U.S. Senate in the November 4 election, Palin called on Stevens to do the "statesman-like thing" [and resign].

As opposed to Sarah Failin' Palin herself, who's totally uncorrupt and a wonderful stand-up citizen. Miss Thanks-But-No-Thanks to the Bridge to Nowhere But I'll Take the Money Anyway... Or is it Miss Fire the Dude Who Wouldn't Fire Her Sister's Ex?

Oy.

My Friends...

From a friend of mine:

Did you ever wonder why John McFriend always says "my friends" at rallies and town hall meetings and the like?

Well, did you ever think about the first letter of each word? M and F? Ever think about what THAT stands for?

Is it any wonder the Republican party hates the middle and working classes?

The Endorsement We've ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!!!

Ah! It's finally come! The endorsement of REPUBLICAN REGISTERED SAMUEL J. WURZELBACHER, AKA Joe the Plumber, has endorsed John McCain. WOW!!! What a surprise that a registered Republican has endorsed his candidate. This is not to say Republicans have not endorsed the Democratic candidate before, most notably Colin Powell, but COME ON!!! This is Joe the Plumber!

Even funnier (not so much in a ha ha way), is that Joe agrees that a voting for Obama would mean the death of Israel:

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Joe the Plumber endorsed Republican John McCain for president on Tuesday and agreed that a vote for Democratic candidate Barack Obama would be "a vote for the death of Israel."

Samuel J. Wurzelbacher gained national attention when Obama told him during a campaign stop that he wanted to "spread the wealth around." Their exchange about Obama's tax plan aired countless times on cable news programs, and McCain repeatedly cited Joe the Plumber in their third and final debate and again at campaign events.

McCain points to Wurzelbacher as an example of the middle-class worker who would be hurt economically by an Obama presidency, However, Wurzelbacher likely would fare better under Obama's tax plan because it calls for no tax increase for working couples earning less than $250,000 a year — Wurzelbacher himself earns far less — and provides for a middle-class tax cut.

In a McCain rally at a flag store, Wurzelbacher said he feared that Obama would turn the U.S. into a socialist nation.

When a McCain supporter asked him if he believed "a vote for Obama is a vote for the death of Israel," Wurzelbacher replied, "I'll go ahead and agree with you on that." He didn't elaborate on how Obama, who has said his commitment to Israeli security is "nonnegotiable," would be caustic for the Jewish state.

Fame brought media scrutiny to Wurzelbacher, who turned out to be an unlicensed plumber with unpaid back taxes.

I'll bet this hick from nowhere couldn't even point to Israel on a map if it wasn't labeled. Does anyone honestly think this schmuck even knows what he's talking about when it comes to Israel? I'll bank on not.

What a joke. McCain gets an endorsement from Joe the Plumber who, as the article deftly points out, would actually fare MUCH better under Obama's tax plan than under McCains.

Republicans. What a soft-brained bunch.

Palin - Whack Job

Oh, it's not me saying it, although I HEARTILY agree. It's a McCain adviser speaking: 

McCain , 72, pressed ahead with an indoors rally held jointly with his under-fire running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, in the US chocolate capital of Hershey, Pennsylvania.

His campaign, behind in the polls nationally and in battleground statesincluding Pennsylvania, was hit with another batch of not-so-sweet headlines with one aide anonymously telling Politico.com that Palin was a "whack job."

No, This Headline Doesn't SEEM Relevant, But It Really Is

Gallup headline today:

Most Chinese Have No Opinion in U.S. Election

At first glance, this headline seems totally irrelevant. After all, who the hell cares what the Chinese think of the US election? In what way can it possibly affect the lives of the vast majority of them?

But it can. Part of the economic crisis in the US is due to major job losses over the last eight years. Most of those jobs have gone overseas, many of them to China. And here's why it's relevant:

Bottom Line

The U.S. presidential election is receiving widespread media coverage in China, not only in the large urban areas, but also in rural areas. However, Gallup finds that the U.S. election is hardly top of mind in the world's most populous country. Many Chinese, particularly rural dwellers (who make up more than half of China's total population), still live in extreme poverty. And many of these people may view the U.S. election as irrelevant in the face of daily concerns about their families' survival. Due in no small part to China's huge stake in the global economy, the global financial crisis may also take precedence over the U.S. election in the eyes of those Chinese who do stay apprised of international affairs.

The problem with much of that poverty is that many of those living in extreme work in squalid conditions, are paid little, have NO benefits whatsoever, and they work for American companies that have outsourced to cheaper labor.

So, yes, it very much IS a US concern because many American companies are actually to blame for the extreme poverty in which many of these Chinese people live.

ClusterF@#CK to the Poor House - Revisited

I've been trying to form words to describe Alan Greenspan's stupidity with his "there's a flaw in the basic model of how the world works:"

I made a mistake in presuming that the self-interest of organizations, specifically banks and others, were such that they were best capable of protecting their own shareholders and the equity in the firm.

Mm. Right. You didn't think they'd get greedy, which is the even more basic model of how this world has ALWAYS worked. Gee, Mr. Greenspan. You honestly didn't see this coming?

Jon Stewart says it best:

Hm. Maybe Fear DOES Work This Political Season

Only, it's NOT in the directions the soft-brained Republicans THOUGHT it would be. Most people seem scared to death of McCain, and even more so, of Palin.

Spread the Wealth?! Why, You Socialist Bastard!

What IS black, and white, and red all over? Obviously, that socialist, Barack Obama.

What's really sad are the soft-brained Republicans at McLiar's rallies TO WHOM THAT WEALTH WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED! THEY'RE THE POORER ONES!!!

Battlestar Republica!

Heh heh heh heh.

THIS Is Going to Be a PHENOMENAL Movie!

I absolutely LOVE the comic book, and from all I've seen, the movie is shaping up to be true to the graphic novel.

The Watchmen cometh...